Fla. Stat. 101.62
Request for vote-by-mail ballots


(1)

REQUEST.The supervisor shall accept a request for a vote-by-mail ballot only from a voter or, if directly instructed by the voter, a member of the voter’s immediate family or the voter’s legal guardian. A request may be made in person, in writing, by telephone, or through the supervisor’s website. The department shall prescribe by rule by October 1, 2023, a uniform statewide application to make a written request for a vote-by-mail ballot which includes fields for all information required in this subsection. One request is deemed sufficient to receive a vote-by-mail ballot for all elections through the end of the calendar year of the next regularly scheduled general election, unless the voter or the voter’s designee indicates at the time the request is made the elections within such period for which the voter desires to receive a vote-by-mail ballot. The supervisor must cancel a request for a vote-by-mail ballot when any first-class mail or nonforwardable mail sent by the supervisor to the voter is returned as undeliverable. If the voter requests a vote-by-mail ballot thereafter, the voter must provide or confirm his or her current residential address.The supervisor may accept a request for a vote-by-mail ballot to be mailed to a voter’s address on file in the Florida Voter Registration System from the voter, or, if directly instructed by the voter, a member of the voter’s immediate family or the voter’s legal guardian. If an in-person or a telephonic request is made, the voter must provide the voter’s Florida driver license number, the voter’s Florida identification card number, or the last four digits of the voter’s social security number, whichever may be verified in the supervisor’s records. If the ballot is requested to be mailed to an address other than the voter’s address on file in the Florida Voter Registration System, the request must be made in writing. A written request must be signed by the voter and include the voter’s Florida driver license number, the voter’s Florida identification card number, or the last four digits of the voter’s social security number. However, an absent uniformed services voter or an overseas voter seeking a vote-by-mail ballot is not required to submit a signed, written request for a vote-by-mail ballot that is being mailed to an address other than the voter’s address on file in the Florida Voter Registration System. The person making the request must disclose:
The name of the voter for whom the ballot is requested.
The voter’s address.
The voter’s date of birth.
The voter’s Florida driver license number, the voter’s Florida identification card number, or the last four digits of the voter’s social security number, whichever may be verified in the supervisor’s records. If the voter’s registration record does not already include the voter’s Florida driver license number or Florida identification card number or the last four digits of the voter’s social security number, the number provided must be recorded in the voter’s registration record.
The requester’s name.
The requester’s address.
The requester’s driver license number, the requester’s identification card number, or the last four digits of the requester’s social security number, if available.
The requester’s relationship to the voter.
The requester’s signature (written requests only).
Upon receiving a request for a vote-by-mail ballot from an absent voter, the supervisor of elections shall notify the voter of the free access system that has been designated by the department for determining the status of his or her vote-by-mail ballot.For purposes of this section, the term “immediate family” refers to the following, as applicable:
The voter’s spouse, parent, child, grandparent, grandchild, or sibling, or the parent, child, grandparent, grandchild, or sibling of the voter’s spouse.
The designee’s spouse, parent, child, grandparent, grandchild, or sibling, or the parent, child, grandparent, grandchild, or sibling of the designee’s spouse.

(a)

The supervisor shall accept a request for a vote-by-mail ballot only from a voter or, if directly instructed by the voter, a member of the voter’s immediate family or the voter’s legal guardian. A request may be made in person, in writing, by telephone, or through the supervisor’s website. The department shall prescribe by rule by October 1, 2023, a uniform statewide application to make a written request for a vote-by-mail ballot which includes fields for all information required in this subsection. One request is deemed sufficient to receive a vote-by-mail ballot for all elections through the end of the calendar year of the next regularly scheduled general election, unless the voter or the voter’s designee indicates at the time the request is made the elections within such period for which the voter desires to receive a vote-by-mail ballot. The supervisor must cancel a request for a vote-by-mail ballot when any first-class mail or nonforwardable mail sent by the supervisor to the voter is returned as undeliverable. If the voter requests a vote-by-mail ballot thereafter, the voter must provide or confirm his or her current residential address.

(b)

The supervisor may accept a request for a vote-by-mail ballot to be mailed to a voter’s address on file in the Florida Voter Registration System from the voter, or, if directly instructed by the voter, a member of the voter’s immediate family or the voter’s legal guardian. If an in-person or a telephonic request is made, the voter must provide the voter’s Florida driver license number, the voter’s Florida identification card number, or the last four digits of the voter’s social security number, whichever may be verified in the supervisor’s records. If the ballot is requested to be mailed to an address other than the voter’s address on file in the Florida Voter Registration System, the request must be made in writing. A written request must be signed by the voter and include the voter’s Florida driver license number, the voter’s Florida identification card number, or the last four digits of the voter’s social security number. However, an absent uniformed services voter or an overseas voter seeking a vote-by-mail ballot is not required to submit a signed, written request for a vote-by-mail ballot that is being mailed to an address other than the voter’s address on file in the Florida Voter Registration System. The person making the request must disclose:The name of the voter for whom the ballot is requested.The voter’s address.The voter’s date of birth.The voter’s Florida driver license number, the voter’s Florida identification card number, or the last four digits of the voter’s social security number, whichever may be verified in the supervisor’s records. If the voter’s registration record does not already include the voter’s Florida driver license number or Florida identification card number or the last four digits of the voter’s social security number, the number provided must be recorded in the voter’s registration record.The requester’s name.The requester’s address.The requester’s driver license number, the requester’s identification card number, or the last four digits of the requester’s social security number, if available.The requester’s relationship to the voter.The requester’s signature (written requests only).
1. The name of the voter for whom the ballot is requested.
2. The voter’s address.
3. The voter’s date of birth.
4. The voter’s Florida driver license number, the voter’s Florida identification card number, or the last four digits of the voter’s social security number, whichever may be verified in the supervisor’s records. If the voter’s registration record does not already include the voter’s Florida driver license number or Florida identification card number or the last four digits of the voter’s social security number, the number provided must be recorded in the voter’s registration record.
5. The requester’s name.
6. The requester’s address.
7. The requester’s driver license number, the requester’s identification card number, or the last four digits of the requester’s social security number, if available.
8. The requester’s relationship to the voter.
9. The requester’s signature (written requests only).

(c)

Upon receiving a request for a vote-by-mail ballot from an absent voter, the supervisor of elections shall notify the voter of the free access system that has been designated by the department for determining the status of his or her vote-by-mail ballot.

(d)

For purposes of this section, the term “immediate family” refers to the following, as applicable:The voter’s spouse, parent, child, grandparent, grandchild, or sibling, or the parent, child, grandparent, grandchild, or sibling of the voter’s spouse.The designee’s spouse, parent, child, grandparent, grandchild, or sibling, or the parent, child, grandparent, grandchild, or sibling of the designee’s spouse.
1. The voter’s spouse, parent, child, grandparent, grandchild, or sibling, or the parent, child, grandparent, grandchild, or sibling of the voter’s spouse.
2. The designee’s spouse, parent, child, grandparent, grandchild, or sibling, or the parent, child, grandparent, grandchild, or sibling of the designee’s spouse.

(2)

ACCESS TO VOTE-BY-MAIL REQUEST INFORMATION.For each request for a vote-by-mail ballot received, the supervisor shall record the following information: the date the request was made; the identity of the voter’s designee making the request, if any; the Florida driver license number, Florida identification card number, or last four digits of the social security number of the voter provided with a written request; the date the vote-by-mail ballot was delivered to the voter or the voter’s designee or the date the vote-by-mail ballot was delivered to the post office or other carrier; the address to which the ballot was mailed or the identity of the voter’s designee to whom the ballot was delivered; the date the ballot was received by the supervisor; the absence of the voter’s signature on the voter’s certificate, if applicable; whether the voter’s certificate contains a signature that does not match the voter’s signature in the registration books or precinct register; and such other information he or she may deem necessary. This information must be provided in electronic format as provided by division rule. The information must be updated and made available no later than 8 a.m. of each day, including weekends, beginning 60 days before the primary until 15 days after the general election and shall be contemporaneously provided to the division. This information is confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1) and shall be made available to or reproduced only for the voter requesting the ballot, a canvassing board, an election official, a political party or official thereof, a candidate who has filed qualification papers and is opposed in an upcoming election, and registered political committees for political purposes only.

(3)

DELIVERY OF VOTE-BY-MAIL BALLOTS.No later than 45 days before each presidential preference primary election, primary election, and general election, the supervisor of elections shall send a vote-by-mail ballot as provided in subparagraph (d)2. to each absent uniformed services voter and to each overseas voter who has requested a vote-by-mail ballot.The supervisor shall mail a vote-by-mail ballot to each absent qualified voter, other than those listed in paragraph (a), who has requested such a ballot, between the 40th and 33rd days before the presidential preference primary election, primary election, and general election.Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (a) or paragraph (b), the supervisor shall mail vote-by-mail ballots within 2 business days after receiving a request for such a ballot, but no later than the 10th day before election day. The deadline to submit a request for a ballot to be mailed is 5 p.m. local time on the 12th day before an upcoming election.Upon a request for a vote-by-mail ballot, the supervisor shall provide a vote-by-mail ballot to each voter by whom a request for that ballot has been made, by one of the following means:
By nonforwardable, return-if-undeliverable mail to the voter’s current mailing address on file with the supervisor or any other address the voter specifies in the request. The envelopes must be prominently marked “Do Not Forward.”
By forwardable mail, e-mail, or facsimile machine transmission to absent uniformed services voters and overseas voters. The absent uniformed services voter or overseas voter may designate in the vote-by-mail ballot request the preferred method of transmission. If the voter does not designate the method of transmission, the vote-by-mail ballot must be mailed.
By personal delivery to the voter after vote-by-mail ballots have been mailed and up to 7 p.m. on election day upon presentation of the identification required in s. 101.043.
By delivery to the voter’s designee after vote-by-mail ballots have been mailed and up to 7 p.m. on election day. Any voter may designate in writing a person to pick up the ballot for the voter; however, the person designated may not pick up more than two vote-by-mail ballots per election, other than the designee’s own ballot, except that additional ballots may be picked up for members of the designee’s immediate family. The designee shall provide to the supervisor the written authorization by the voter and a picture identification of the designee and must complete an affidavit. The designee shall state in the affidavit that the designee is authorized by the voter to pick up that ballot and shall indicate if the voter is a member of the designee’s immediate family and, if so, the relationship. The department shall prescribe the form of the affidavit. If the supervisor is satisfied that the designee is authorized to pick up the ballot and that the signature of the voter on the written authorization matches the signature of the voter on file, the supervisor must give the ballot to that designee for delivery to the voter.
Except as provided in s. 101.655, the supervisor may not deliver a vote-by-mail ballot to a voter or a voter’s designee pursuant to subparagraph 3. or subparagraph 4., respectively, during the mandatory early voting period and up to 7 p.m. on election day, unless there is an emergency, to the extent that the voter will be unable to go to a designated early voting site in his or her county or to his or her assigned polling place on election day. If a vote-by-mail ballot is delivered, the voter or his or her designee must execute an affidavit affirming to the facts which allow for delivery of the vote-by-mail ballot. The department shall adopt a rule providing for the form of the affidavit.

(a)

No later than 45 days before each presidential preference primary election, primary election, and general election, the supervisor of elections shall send a vote-by-mail ballot as provided in subparagraph (d)2. to each absent uniformed services voter and to each overseas voter who has requested a vote-by-mail ballot.

(b)

The supervisor shall mail a vote-by-mail ballot to each absent qualified voter, other than those listed in paragraph (a), who has requested such a ballot, between the 40th and 33rd days before the presidential preference primary election, primary election, and general election.

(c)

Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (a) or paragraph (b), the supervisor shall mail vote-by-mail ballots within 2 business days after receiving a request for such a ballot, but no later than the 10th day before election day. The deadline to submit a request for a ballot to be mailed is 5 p.m. local time on the 12th day before an upcoming election.

(d)

Upon a request for a vote-by-mail ballot, the supervisor shall provide a vote-by-mail ballot to each voter by whom a request for that ballot has been made, by one of the following means:By nonforwardable, return-if-undeliverable mail to the voter’s current mailing address on file with the supervisor or any other address the voter specifies in the request. The envelopes must be prominently marked “Do Not Forward.”By forwardable mail, e-mail, or facsimile machine transmission to absent uniformed services voters and overseas voters. The absent uniformed services voter or overseas voter may designate in the vote-by-mail ballot request the preferred method of transmission. If the voter does not designate the method of transmission, the vote-by-mail ballot must be mailed.By personal delivery to the voter after vote-by-mail ballots have been mailed and up to 7 p.m. on election day upon presentation of the identification required in s. 101.043.By delivery to the voter’s designee after vote-by-mail ballots have been mailed and up to 7 p.m. on election day. Any voter may designate in writing a person to pick up the ballot for the voter; however, the person designated may not pick up more than two vote-by-mail ballots per election, other than the designee’s own ballot, except that additional ballots may be picked up for members of the designee’s immediate family. The designee shall provide to the supervisor the written authorization by the voter and a picture identification of the designee and must complete an affidavit. The designee shall state in the affidavit that the designee is authorized by the voter to pick up that ballot and shall indicate if the voter is a member of the designee’s immediate family and, if so, the relationship. The department shall prescribe the form of the affidavit. If the supervisor is satisfied that the designee is authorized to pick up the ballot and that the signature of the voter on the written authorization matches the signature of the voter on file, the supervisor must give the ballot to that designee for delivery to the voter.Except as provided in s. 101.655, the supervisor may not deliver a vote-by-mail ballot to a voter or a voter’s designee pursuant to subparagraph 3. or subparagraph 4., respectively, during the mandatory early voting period and up to 7 p.m. on election day, unless there is an emergency, to the extent that the voter will be unable to go to a designated early voting site in his or her county or to his or her assigned polling place on election day. If a vote-by-mail ballot is delivered, the voter or his or her designee must execute an affidavit affirming to the facts which allow for delivery of the vote-by-mail ballot. The department shall adopt a rule providing for the form of the affidavit.
1. By nonforwardable, return-if-undeliverable mail to the voter’s current mailing address on file with the supervisor or any other address the voter specifies in the request. The envelopes must be prominently marked “Do Not Forward.”
2. By forwardable mail, e-mail, or facsimile machine transmission to absent uniformed services voters and overseas voters. The absent uniformed services voter or overseas voter may designate in the vote-by-mail ballot request the preferred method of transmission. If the voter does not designate the method of transmission, the vote-by-mail ballot must be mailed.
3. By personal delivery to the voter after vote-by-mail ballots have been mailed and up to 7 p.m. on election day upon presentation of the identification required in s. 101.043.
4. By delivery to the voter’s designee after vote-by-mail ballots have been mailed and up to 7 p.m. on election day. Any voter may designate in writing a person to pick up the ballot for the voter; however, the person designated may not pick up more than two vote-by-mail ballots per election, other than the designee’s own ballot, except that additional ballots may be picked up for members of the designee’s immediate family. The designee shall provide to the supervisor the written authorization by the voter and a picture identification of the designee and must complete an affidavit. The designee shall state in the affidavit that the designee is authorized by the voter to pick up that ballot and shall indicate if the voter is a member of the designee’s immediate family and, if so, the relationship. The department shall prescribe the form of the affidavit. If the supervisor is satisfied that the designee is authorized to pick up the ballot and that the signature of the voter on the written authorization matches the signature of the voter on file, the supervisor must give the ballot to that designee for delivery to the voter.
5. Except as provided in s. 101.655, the supervisor may not deliver a vote-by-mail ballot to a voter or a voter’s designee pursuant to subparagraph 3. or subparagraph 4., respectively, during the mandatory early voting period and up to 7 p.m. on election day, unless there is an emergency, to the extent that the voter will be unable to go to a designated early voting site in his or her county or to his or her assigned polling place on election day. If a vote-by-mail ballot is delivered, the voter or his or her designee must execute an affidavit affirming to the facts which allow for delivery of the vote-by-mail ballot. The department shall adopt a rule providing for the form of the affidavit.

(4)

SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES.If the department is unable to certify candidates for an election in time to comply with paragraph (3)(a), the Department of State is authorized to prescribe rules for a ballot to be sent to absent uniformed services voters and overseas voters.

(5)

MATERIALS.Only the materials necessary to vote by mail may be mailed or delivered with any vote-by-mail ballot.

(6)

PROHIBITION.Except as expressly authorized for voters having a disability under s. 101.662, for overseas voters under s. 101.697, or for local referenda under ss. 101.6102 and 101.6103, a county, municipality, or state agency may not send a vote-by-mail ballot to a voter unless the voter has requested a vote-by-mail ballot in the manner authorized under this section.

Source: Section 101.62 — Request for vote-by-mail ballots, https://www.­flsenate.­gov/Laws/Statutes/2024/0101.­62 (accessed Aug. 7, 2025).

101.001
Precincts and polling places
101.002
Use of system by municipalities
101.015
Standards for voting systems
101.017
Bureau of Voting Systems Certification
101.019
Ranked-choice voting prohibited
101.20
Publication of ballot form
101.21
Official ballots
101.021
Elector to vote the primary ballot of the political party in which he or she is registered
101.23
Election inspector to keep list of those voting
101.24
Ballot boxes and ballots
101.031
Instructions for electors
101.34
Custody of voting system
101.041
Secret voting
101.43
Substitute ballot
101.043
Identification required at polls
101.045
Electors must be registered in precinct
101.048
Provisional ballots
101.49
Procedure of election officers where signatures differ
101.049
Provisional ballots
101.51
Electors to occupy booth alone
101.051
Electors seeking assistance in casting ballots
101.58
Supervising and observing registration and election processes
101.62
Request for vote-by-mail ballots
101.64
Delivery of vote-by-mail ballots
101.65
Instructions to absent electors
101.67
Safekeeping of mailed ballots
101.68
Canvassing of vote-by-mail ballot
101.69
Voting in person
101.71
Polling place
101.74
Temporary change of polling place in case of emergency
101.75
Municipal elections
101.111
Voter challenges
101.131
Watchers at polls
101.151
Specifications for ballots
101.161
Referenda
101.171
Copy of constitutional amendment to be available at voting locations
101.252
Candidates entitled to have names printed on certain ballots
101.254
When nominated names to appear in groups or districts
101.292
Definitions
101.293
Competitive sealed bids and proposals required
101.294
Purchase and sale of voting equipment
101.295
Penalties for violation
101.341
Prohibited activities by voting system custodians and deputy custodians
101.545
Retention and destruction of certain election materials
101.572
Public inspection of ballots
101.591
Voting system audit
101.595
Analysis and reports of voting problems
101.655
Supervised voting by absent electors in certain facilities
101.657
Early voting
101.661
Voting vote-by-mail ballots
101.662
Accessibility of vote-by-mail ballots
101.663
Electors
101.665
Administration of oaths
101.694
Mailing of ballots upon receipt of federal postcard application
101.697
Electronic transmission of election materials
101.698
Absentee voting in emergency situations
101.715
Accessibility of polling places for people having a disability
101.731
Short title
101.732
Definitions relating to Elections Emergency Act
101.733
Election emergency
101.2512
Candidates’ names on general election ballots
101.2515
Translation of ballot language
101.5601
Short title
101.5602
Purpose
101.5603
Definitions relating to Electronic Voting Systems Act
101.5604
Adoption of system
101.5605
Examination and approval of equipment
101.5606
Requirements for approval of systems
101.5607
Department of State to maintain voting system information
101.5608
Voting by electronic or electromechanical method
101.5610
Inspection of ballot by election board
101.5611
Instructions to electors
101.5612
Testing of tabulating equipment
101.5613
Examination of equipment during voting
101.5614
Canvass of returns
101.5911
Rulemaking authority for voting system audit procedures
101.6101
Short title
101.6102
Mail ballot elections
101.6103
Mail ballot election procedure
101.6104
Challenge of votes
101.6105
Vote-by-mail voting
101.6106
Application of other election laws
101.6107
Department of State to adopt rules
101.6921
Delivery of special vote-by-mail ballot to certain first-time voters
101.6923
Special vote-by-mail ballot instructions for certain first-time voters
101.6925
Canvassing special vote-by-mail ballots
101.6951
State write-in vote-by-mail ballot
101.6952
Vote-by-mail ballots for absent uniformed services and overseas voters
101.56042
Punch card type systems prohibited
101.56062
Standards for accessible voting systems
101.56063
Accessibility of voting systems and polling places
101.56064
Application for federal funds under ch. 2002-281
101.56065
Voting system defects
101.56075
Voting methods

Current through Fall 2025

§ 101.62. Request for vote-by-mail ballots's source at flsenate​.gov